Means for feeding sheet-metal blanks.



R. KUCERA.

MEANS FOR FEEDING SHEET METAL BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED uov n, 1915.

1 :1; 9 6 6 5 Q Patented June 1 3, 1916.

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MEANS FOR FEEDING SHEET METAL BLANKS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, I915- Patented June 13, 1916.

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ROBERT KUC'ERA, OF BUCHANAN, VIRGINIA.

MEANS FOR FEEDING SHEET-METAL BLANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Application filed November 11, 1915. Serial No. 60,935.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT KUCERA, a citizenof the United States, resident of Buchanan, in the county of Botetourtand State of Virginia, have made a certain new and useful Invention inMeans for Feeding Sheet-Metal Blanks; and I declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use theinvention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification. Figure 1 is a side view of the invention as applied.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the invention. Fig. 3 is a. section on the line33, Fig. '2.

The invention has relation to machines for feeding blanks in themanufacture of cans or containers of sheet metal or tin plate, andparticularly to means for feeding the circular blanks or disks for theends of caps of said cans to the die or press. The invention consists inthe novel construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter setforth.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, the numeral 2designates the press, having the lower die 3, and the upperreciprocatory die 4, the disks being commonly fed to said lower die byhand, which is a slow process.

My invention consists of a'table or platform 5, mounted in front of thedie press, where the operator has been accustomed to sit, a suitableholder for the circular blanks being located upon said platform andconsisting preferably of a block 6, having a part cylindrical recess 7,and four standards 8, 8, two of which are mounted upon said block, andare shorter than the other or rear standards, which are mounted directlyupon the table.

. A horizontal, reciprocatory arm or finger 9 works in suitableguides-10 of said table, and is provided forwardly with an indented end11 for engagement with the lowermost blank of the pile and in rear withsuitable operating mechanism 12, including usually a spring 12 to returnthe reciprocatory arm to normal position after each forward strokethereof.

In order that but one blank at a time shall be fed at each stroke of thearm or finger, an

block 6, centrally of the recess of said block, said gage having aforwardly extending screw 14, the head 14' of which bears against theforward face of the block, to hold the gage truly to its verticalposition, said screw working in a. slot 15 of the block, and the upperend of the gage being turned forwardly horizontally over the top of the.block at 16, a vertical screw 16, working in a threaded seat 17 of theblock, and havin a collar 18 located below the end 16 of 518 gage andbetween the same and the block. The vertical screw is provided withahead 18', which is turned by hand to adjust the gage.

The lower beveled end of the gage is separated from the table by a space19 just sufficient to allow one blank to pass, the block 6 having anopening of the full diameter or breadth of the blank and of greaterthickness than the individual blanks, to allow blank of differentthicknesses to pass upon adjustment of the gage.

The blanks are usually somewhat irregular and commonly slightly dished,so that ordinarily if the convex side of the lowermost blank is locatedbelow, the marginal upper edge of the blank would be raised above thelower edge of the gage, and the arm or finger in its forward movementwould pass under the blank and raise the pile of blanks without feedingany of them. Or, in case the rear edge of the blank is sufficiently low,the arm or finger will strike theblank, but the forwardtedge of theblank being raised, the blank will not pass below the gage, resulting inbending of the blank and possible jamming in and breakage of themachine, time and trouble being needed to correct matters. And in casethe lowermost blank has its convex side on top, the forward edge of theblank will at the start of the feeding at once pass under the gage andthe feeding will be properly accom plished.

In order therefore to receive the lower convexity or depression of thelowermost dished blank and lower the level of the blank so that itsraised marginal edge shall be brought below the lower edge of the gage,the table is provided with a recess 22 in the floor of the holder forthe pile of blanks, said recess being of a diameter slightly less thanthat of the individual blanks, the marginal portion of the lowermostblank resting upon the table.

Patented June 13, 1916.

And in order that the blank in being fed forward shall not rise abovethe lower edge of the gage and become bent, without effective feedinthis gage is set immediately adjacent to t e pile of blanks, and theblank atthe start of its movement forward, by the reciprocatory arm orfinger, at once passes under the gage and is fed outat. the oppositeside thereof.

In order that the blanks in being fed ander the gage and block shall notbe jammed against each other, feed rollers 20, 20 are providedimmediately adjacent to the forward face of the block, said rollersbeing run by suitable gearing 21 at a rate of speed higher than that ofthe feed of the blanks,

so that the blanks will be gripped by the rollers and pulled from underthe gage and block faster than they are fed by the reciprocatory arm.

a The gearing 21 consists usually of sprocket gearing '21, connectingthe shaft of the upper of the feed rollers with the driving shaft 21* ofthe press, and intermeshing gears upon said rollers.

The invention is equally applicable to the feeding of rectangularblanks, the recess below the pile of blanks serving to receive anyconvexities or irregular depressions thereof that would otherwiseinterfere with the proper feeding, as stated,

I claim I v 1. In feeding means for sheet metal blanks, a table, areciprocatory push .rod workingin guides of said table, a holder for apile of. blanks mounted upon said table, said table having a recess inthe floor of said holder of dimensions less than that of the individualblanks, and a gage immediately adjacent to said recess.

2. In feeding means for sheet 'metal blanks, a table, a reciprocatoryp'ush'rod working in guides of said table, a holder for a pile of blanksmounted upon said table,

said table having a recess in the fioor of said holderofdimensions..-less than that of the individual blanks, a gageimmediately adj acent to said recess, feedrollers adjacent to said gage,and means for rotatin said rollers:1 at a speed greater than that 0 saidpush ro 3. In. feeding means for sheet metal blanks, a table, areciprocatory push rod' working in guides of said table, a holder for apile of blanks consisting of a block upon said table'having a recess,short standards mounted upon said block and'rear upon said block andrear standards upon said table, said table having a recess in the floorof said holder of dimensions less than that of the individual blanks, agage mounted upon said block centrally of the recess of the block andimmediately adjacent to the recess in g the fioor of the holder, saidblock having a horizontal opening .of breadth equal to that of theblanks and of a height greater than the thickness of the. in-

dividual blanks, feed rollers adjacent to said block, and means forrotating said rollers at a speed greater than that of said push rod. j r

In testimony whereof I a-flix my signature 'in presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT KUCERA. Witnesses:

S. C. HILL, GEORGE M. ANDERSON.

